Konoha Is For Lovers
by AlinaLotus
Summary: So Ino is here and it's cliche, with florescent lamplight and curls of cigarette smoke around them. So Ino is streaks of gold and smudged eyeliner, hot breath and glossy lips and- "Can I come in or are you just gonna stand there drooling, Forehead?"


**SO this is the first time I've ever done anything but KakaSaku with Sakura. But thanks to all my lovelies on tumblr (btw, if you are on tumblr I would love to follow you!) I can deny no longer that I ship InoSaku as well. To a lesser degree, of course, but I still think there is great chemistry between Ino and Sakura and, well, I guess I'm going to explore that.**

**Or something.**

**So, do enjoy. Warnings are slight language, and fslash sexual situations.**

_Shouldn't let you torture me so sweetly_

_Now I can't let go of this dream_

_I can't breathe but I feel..._

_Good enough_

_I feel good enough for you_

_Drink up sweet decadence_

_I can't say no to you_

_And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind._

_I can't say no to you_

_Shouldn't let you conquer me completely_

_Now I can't let go of this dream_

_Can't believe that I feel..._

_Good enough_

_I feel good enough_

_It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good_

_So take care what you ask of me_

_'cause I can't say no..._

Ino's hair hangs in wet curtains down her bare back, clings to shoulder blades that are like carved ivory. Sakura traces them with her eyes and wonders how the supple skin would feel beneath her palms, and even more what it would taste like, and Kami, she's never felt her heart beating this fast before.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

**oooo**

Ino is smiling, that ridiculous one that makes Sakura think anything could be possible. Ino lives in the clouds- above anything real, out of reach of all limits, and everything is a painfully blue sky- and Sakura clenches her fists at her sides because she'd rather die than admit that, almost more than anything, she wants to live there, too.

**oooo**

"One day forehead, you'll thank me for this." Ino hovers behind her, pulling Sakura's pink tendrils through her fingers. "Split-ends are no laughing matter."

Sakura swallows thickly and tries to ignore the entirely too-pleasant sensation of Ino's touch on her scalp. She tries to hold in the shudder she feels when Ino's nimble fingers pull at the fly away strands at the base of her neck. She tries to-

She tries and she fails and Ino is close enough that she can smell her, and she smells like vanilla lip balm and maybe green tea, and Sakura digs her nails into the side of the chair.

"You okay Forehead?" Ino asks, leaning down to reach a hair pin, her voice brushing against Sakura's ear, and a white-hot flash goes through Sakura's entire body as Ino's breath hits the bare skin of her neck.

"I- " Sakura says, but stops, not sure she can say anything, let alone anything that would come out as halfway normal.

"Hmm?" Ino replies, questioningly, blonde brows pulled up over boundless eyes.

In this moment Sakura wants to kiss her. She wants to hold Ino in her arms, to belong to somebody. Less than pure thoughts enter her head, and her pulse races at the idea of Ino's buxom figure splayed out for her, just there on Ino's deep purple sheets, of Ino begging her...

Instead, though, Sakura bolts because she runs from everything that has ever made her feel like this since Sasuke left. Her heart is still jagged and not quite pieced together in the right places, never smooth and the sharp edges are there to remind her that anything that feels like love will end in bouts of pain so real it's like knives under your skin.

She locks herself in Naruto's apartment, closes the blinds, and prays that Ino will leave her alone.

**oooo**

Ino is a calculating bitch.

She's proud of this, of course. Asuma taught her that much- to always be proud. She's always had confidence to spare, though, even before her figure had filled out and her hair had grown in golden rivers down her creamy shoulders. Beauty was her forte, all right, but so was love and healing and her friends were her life.

Sakura, well, Sakura was... it's like this. Sakura was probably the first person that Ino felt giddy around. Sure Sasuke was cute, in that brooding, can't-wait-to-fuck-my-life-up-over-revenge kind of way, but on the whole he was a_ titch_ too self-involved for her. There were other guys, sure. Genma was hot, and he at least could show a girl a good time, and he had no compunctions about dating someone he outranked. Then there was a fling with Kiba, but that only lasted a few weeks even though it was probably the best sex she'd ever had. Nameless and faceless one night stands had shown her the ropes, but they were of little consequence and really, she couldn't wait for them to leave in the morning.

These men all paled in comparison to Sakura, to the beautiful flower of a woman that Ino stood in awe of every day. Sakura had gone from a simpering, frumpy weakling to arguably the most powerful kunoichi in the whole village, if not the entire land of Fire. Sea-foam eyes sparkled with knowledge, fists pumped with power and precision, lean legs strode around with comfortable ease. Sakura had become somebody to be admired, to look to when things were going shitty.

She'd proved time and time again that she was going to be there, and Ino needed somebody like that, a shoulder to cry on when she couldn't stand the idea of Team Ten not having its leader, of looking into the beautiful face of Kurenai's baby and seeing Asuma's eyes staring back at her. She needed arms around her to steady her, to bring her back to reality when all she really wanted to do was pull a Shikamaru and lay on her ass all day, looking up at the sky. She needed long glances and the way Sakura worried her bottom lip between her front teeth.

In short, as Ino was well aware, she needed everything that Sakura was, from the tip of her cotton-candy head, to the bottom of her worn sandals.

So, as any bombshell with a bite would do, Ino planned on making Sakura jealous. It may have been somewhat juvenile, but she figured all was fair in love and war. Besides, the ends would justify the means, because after all was said and done, she'd get what she wanted.

As a daddy's girl extraordinaire, Yamanaka Ino always got what she wanted.

**oooo**

Sakura is wearing a pair of Naruto's sweats and an old tank top, while her clothes prattle in his ancient washing machine. She has been here for ages, it seems, though it's only been for one night. Naruto is away on some mission with Yamato, Sai, and Kakashi. Tsunade didn't give many details, but Sakura gleaned that her boys wouldn't be back for quite some time.

It's not exactly the last place Ino would look for her, but it's on the list and so far so good, because Ino hasn't so much as called looking for her. A burn starts through her, at the thought of Ino. Her friend that is so much more to her than that. The sickening part is, Ino is exactly right for her. Ino can always make her laugh, and with the high stress level of her job and just being around a Tsunade void of sake (thanks to Shizune's new insane idea of drying out the entirety of the Tower and hospital), she can always do with a few chuckles. Ino is the only one who knows just how deeply Sakura loved- and hates- Sasuke, that she secretly blames not Naruto for failing to bring him back, but herself, because she was too weak to stop him, too weak to fight for him.

Ino gets it, _she actually gets it_, when Sakura tells her she's afraid. As the Hokage's apprentice, Sakura isn't exactly in a position to show fear. It's a luxury not afforded to her. People look to her to fix them, to mend the wrongs on missions and to put their teammates back into one piece again. So late at night when the village is quiet and it's just Ino and Sakura under a vast galaxy of black velvet, of opals and rubies and far-off sapphires, this is when Sakura can let go, when she knows that it's okay to, because Ino will be there to catch her.

"I'm so fucked up." Sakura mutters as she rummages around in Naruto's kitchen.

As she thought, the pantry is home to only a few cups of instant ramen, a package of miso seasoning mix and a bottle of, oddly enough, maple syrup. The fridge is no better, holding a jar of mustard, two cans of beer, and a molding pan of lasagna, which was her contribution three weeks ago. Usually she stays up on Naruto's horrible grocery habits, dropping off a gallon of milk and a few boxes of cereal here, or a loaf of bread and some lunch meat there. As shown by the crusty lasagna, she makes extra meals when she can help it, and if she had the mind to, she'd probably find the same thing in Sai and Kakashi's fridges.

She sighs, and pulls out a can of beer and picks the most appetizing looking ramen. She reaches for the tea kettle (the one she bought for Naruto after she found out he merely filled his instant ramen cups with warm water from the tap) and fills it, setting it on the stove. While the water heats up, Sakura does what cleaning she can; Naruto uses the kitchen so rarely, there isn't much to do. The living room as well is in decent condition, just a slight layer of dust on the coffee table and a few crumbs and scraps scattered around the floor.

It's the least she can do, anyway, for using his place as hideout, so Sakura sets to work while the ramen cooks, and by the time her meager meal is ready, the house smells fresher (why Naruto never opened his windows was beyond her, but the light evening breeze is much needed throughout the apartment) and is more habitable.

Digging around in the cupboard beside the TV set, Sakura finds half a package of cigarettes, a habit Naruto thinks he's hidden quite well. The only reason Sakura hasn't pummeled him into the ground is because every now and then she finds it necessary to secretly bum a few smokes from him.

There's a light rap on the door, and Sakura sighs, pushing the remnants of her dinner away and standing to the door. Her cigarette smolders in her hand, and she takes a quick puff before she swings the door open, saying "sorry Konohamaru, he's not- " but her voice catches in her throat and her eyes widen, taking in the sight before her.

Ino is wearing a tight yellow stop that barely covers her ample chest, and a skirt short enough that as Ino rocks back on her heels, Sakura can see the lacy trim of her panties. Her hair is smoothed into glossy locks around her shoulders, its smell so strong and alluring that Sakura almost grabs a handful of it, just to be closer to the heavenly aroma.

Instead, she swallows, not sure what to say.

"Oh, Sakura?" Ino says, her thickly charcoaled eyes looking her over in surprise. "I wasn't expecting...I mean, is Naruto-kun here?"

"Er...what?" Sakura says, sure she heard wrong. Ino, looking for _Naruto_? Since when did Ino show up at night to Naruto's apartment looking so mouth-watering?

"Naruto-kun...you remember him? I, _heh_, well..." Ino trails off into a giggle, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Sakura now has an obstructed view of Ino's chest, something she always seems to end up looking at anyway, despite her very great efforts not to. _Oh Kami, she's not-_ Sakura can see very clearly, as a cool breeze kicks up around them, that Ino is not wearing a bra. Her pulse races at this thought, of the idea that between her and supple, warm flesh is only a light layer of fabric.

"S-sorry, he's not here. I think...I think he's on a mission." Sakura says, shaking her head slightly and dropping her gaze to the floor, where she can only see the toe of Ino's knee-high leather boots.

"Oh," Ino says, and Sakura can hear the drop of her voice. Whether in disappointment or not, she isn't sure. "But you're here."

Sakura's head snaps up at Ino's tone, at the words she's not saying, because she can sense not just a question in her voice, but an invitation.

So Ino is here and it's cliche, with florescent lamplight and curls of cigarette smoke around them. So Ino is streaks of gold and smudged eyeliner, hot breath and glossy lips and-

"Can I come in or are you just gonna stand there drooling, Forehead?"

Ino pushes her aside and walks in, allowing Sakura a very unadulterated view of the rest of her outfit, and all Sakura can think is _thank Kami for heeled boots._

**oooo**

"Er...all he has to drink is beer." Sakura says awkwardly, setting down the unopened can in front of Ino.

"I know, it's all he ever has." Ino says with a roll of her eyes and a smirk. "I've asked him Hokages know how many times to at least keep a bottle of Merlot around, but you know him, he never listens."

Ino is exactly on the mark, and it's a request that Sakura herself has made of Naruto, but she still can't understand just _why_. Why Ino is acting like she frequents Naruto's place, like they drink together, like they...

"You're fucking Naruto?" Sakura blurts out, unable to be kept in the dark any longer.

Ino, who has been taking a sip of the beer, slowly lowers her can, her eyes locked with Sakura's. "And if I was?"

"Like I would care." Sakura manages, after breaking away from Ino's penetrating turquoise gaze.

Ino exhales, then stands, coming to stop in front of Sakura. Because of the boots she is a few inches taller, and she looks down at her pink-haired friend. "See, I think you do. I think the idea of me being close to somebody," Ino pushes Sakura onto the couch, holding her there with one hand while she kneels, straddling her, (Sakura almost stops breathing, almost stops thinking) "of being close to anybody that isn't you," Ino leans into Sakura's throat, inhaling Sakura's cotton candy scent, "drives you crazy."

"I hate it." Sakura whispers.

"I hate it too." Ino replies, and then she's kissing Sakura, kissing her best friend, and maybe she shouldn't be displaying her heart like this, but Sakura is the only one she trusts with it anyway.

Sakura gasps, her hands automatically finding their way to Ino's shapely hips, holding tightly to her. Ino's lips are like satin against her own, and as the blonde girl shifts, pushing their bodies closer together, Sakura's mind is fuzzy and almost incapable of reason. There's a flickering warmth against her mouth as Ino trails her tongue along the lower outline of Sakura's lip, a sound escaping from the back of Sakura's throat that she didn't even know she could make.

Ino pulls away, hesitant for a moment, but Sakura looks up at her, shakes her head. "Please," she whispers, "please don't stop."

Ino smirks and leans in to kiss Sakura again, harder this time. "You're so beautiful." Sakura remarks, running her palm up Ino's back. She finds the clasp on Ino's barely-there top and removes it, tossing the fabric away from them.

So Ino is there, bared in front of Sakura, nothing to hide her, and Sakura revels this moment, and nothing can really prepare her for the sheer pleasure that takes over her body, that invades every sense, as Ino grinds into her, moves against her. Sakura throws her head back, eyes squeezed shut, but Ino jerks her chin forward with her thumb and index finger.

"Don't look away. I can't stand it if you do." Sakura's eyes were always the most precious of gems to her, and now Ino feels like they're the only things keeping her here, making this real and not another one of her daydreams.

Sakura obliges, and chest heaving, she moves her hand from Ino's back down and around the firm curve of her ass, her throat dry at this, at finally,_ finally_ acting on her most intimate of wishes. Ino moans, and with a flurry of her hands, removes her skirt and underwear. She lifts herself a few inches from Sakura's lap, and a molten heat drips below Sakura's abdomen as she pulls her fingers along Ino's slit, warm, sticky arousal settling on her finger tips.

Not able to stand it anymore, Ino again presses herself into Sakura, their centres rubbing and scraping and lights ebb and flow around them, and the only real thing is Ino's skin and heat and her ardent mouth against Sakura's throat, Sakura's lips, Sakura's shoulder.

Things are heated and moving too fast, and it's exactly what they both need.

**oooo**

"I think Naruto is going to blow a gasket when he finds out what we did on his couch." Sakura says some time later. She is laying on the floor, Ino's head on her stomach, both of them staring at the ceiling.

"Well, he's going to blow something, that's for sure." Ino says with a laugh, rubbing her thumb along the outside of Sakura's thigh.

"I'd never have guessed you were a screamer, Ino."

"Considering how many years we've been skirting the sexual tension, I'm surprised all I did was scream. And you! Fuck, you get wetter than a river when you have a decent rack to play with."

Sakura laughs, but has to agree. "Only yours, though." She says after a moment of silence. "It's always been you, Ino."

"Right back atcha."

**oooo**

"WHOA, back up!" Naruto screeches, and Sakura takes a calming breath before slapping him upside the head. Did he really have to be so annoying?

"Do you really have to be so annoying?" She says, rubbing her wrist. Naruto had only been back from his mission for about three seconds before he demanded to know why is whole apartment smelled of girl..._stuff._ Not that he was complaining, of course.

"Well excuse me for freaking out a little bit! I mean, you just said that you and Ino- " Sakura grabs Naruto roughly around the collar, raising her fist again, but Naruto holds up in his hands in defeat.

"Okay okay, I'll shut up! Sheesh Sakura, for a medic nin, you're pretty damn violent."

Sakura ignores this.

"So you actually...you know, like did it? I mean, I was pretty sure you and Ino like, hated each other!"

"Leave it to Naruto to be as clueless as ever." Sai appears out of nowhere, or so it seems, and Sakura spares him only a brief smile. It figures that Sai would have some sort of idea of her feelings for Ino. Artist intuition and all that. Or maybe she was just painfully obvious.

"What the hell do you mean? Are you saying you knew?" Naruto yells, turning on his heel to face Sai.

Sakura heaves a sigh, but her eye catches on a patch of purple across the road. Ino is standing there, her blonde hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight, her arm extended in a wave.

Sakura glances back to Naruto, who is jabbing Sai in the chest, and shrugs, leaving them without another word. Her boys are idiots and they'll eventually get into a fight, one will upstage the other, and they'll both end up bleeding and bruised at her apartment, waiting to be healed.

"Morning." Ino says with a smile as Sakura approaches her.

"Morning yourself." Sakura says, her eyes lingering on Ino's, and she's lost again in turquoise waters.

"I was thinking...well, more like wondering...do you wanna go to lunch? I mean, I know we do lunch all the time, but this time, well it's different now and- "

"Are you asking me out?" Sakura arches a brow, smirks, and can't help the way her heart pounds at the thought that this, that everything she's wanted with Ino, for so long now, could become a reality.

"Very quick on the uptake, aren't you, Forehead?" Ino says with a wink, but she slips her hand into Sakura's, and pulls her up the street, toward their favorite tea shop.

**oooo**

Kakashi closes his battered copy of _Icha Icha_ as the door to the tea shop swings shut after Ino and Sakura. From behind him, there's a_ tsch_ sound, exasperation apparent as Tsunade steps forward, rummaging around in her bra before pulling out a crumpled wad of bills.

"Just wipe that damn smile off your face." She growls as she slaps the money into his hand. "And don't think I can't see it."

"Well I did warn you." Kakashi shrugs and pockets the money, thankful that his mask actually does shield his smile. Tsuande's mood is foul enough, what with Shizune's ban on liquor now spreading beyond just the business office.

"Oh like hell you did." Tsunade says, crossing her arms over her, ah, formidable chest.

"I told you, Hokage-sama, I know Sakura better than anybody. It was time she moved on from Sasuke- and the obvious choice for her was, aside from me of course, her best friend."

Tsunade snorts. "Right! Like I'd let my prize student be with some pervert like you."

Kakashi rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you would know all about perverts, being hopelessly in love with one and all. How is Master Jiraiya these days, hm?" As he ducks, missing her fist only thanks to his Sharingan, Kakashi can't help but smile again. Through the front window of the tea shop Sakura and Ino are seated, and Sakura, even though she blushes slightly while doing so, wraps her arm around the back of Ino's chair, her finger tips resting on Ino's shoulders.

They're small gestures but more meaningful than anyone, probably even Sakura and Ino, can guess. But Kakashi, missing nothing as is his nature, knows how momentous they are are for the two chunin.

"I wonder how Naruto will feel when I tell him you bet against him?" Tsunade says, lifting her nose in the air and turning toward the path.

"But- I mean, you wouldn't actually tell him, he'll be- Tsunade, he'll be crushed and do that stupid pouty thing, and then I'll have to fork over an entire mission's payout to Ichiraku, and- "

"Well," Tsunade says with a shrug, lifting her hand in farewell, "stupid is as stupid does. And you'd know all about stupid, wouldn't you, Kakashi? Being stupid and all." With a final smirk, Tsunade flicks Kakashi in the center of his forehead, sending the pain-in-the-ass jounin (probably one of her best ninja, but a pain in the ass nonetheless) backwards into the nearest tree.

**Heh...so yeah. SO unsure about this, but there you are. Feedback is, as ever, appreciated. Lyrics from Good Enough by Evanescence.**


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